This is not an ordinary cargo, it carries life-saving medical supplies destined for Ukraine.On Saturday 5 March, just over a week following the escalation of military operations in Ukraine, 3 large lorries carrying 36 tonnes of vital WHO medical supplies crossed the Polish border into Lviv, where they were stored and then distributed to health…
11 March 2022 is a grim milestone as we mark 2 years since WHO categorized the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic – a health emergency spanning countries and continents. Since cases of COVID-19 were first reported, more than 6 million people have died from the disease worldwide, with over 1.8 million of them in the…
On Monday, 7 March 2022, a case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 3 (cVDPV3) was confirmed in an unvaccinated girl aged 3 years and 9 months in Israel. The girl had developed acute flaccid paralysis and, upon testing of her stool, poliovirus was confirmed.Further testing of the poliovirus isolated from the girl revealed genetic links…
Protecting the health of all, including refugees, is a priority concern for WHO as the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine continues to unfold. WHO is working with countries of the European Region to strengthen health system capacity to accommodate large numbers of refugees and ensure access to essential health services. Among many other health needs, refugees…
European Health Report 2021 highlights the way forwardCopenhagen, 10 March 2022Given the far-reaching impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the WHO European Region, countries face daunting challenges in tackling health inequities and achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. But a critical window of opportunity still exists if governments and health authorities take…
“This lifts collaboration between WHO and Malta to a whole new strategic level,” was the conclusion of Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, after a round of high-level meetings and the signing of a 5-year Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) in Malta last week.Dr Kluge signed the CCS at a ceremony with…
In the newly established refugee centre – a converted gymnasium in Darabani, Romania – Maria Răpciugă greets refugees as they arrive from Ukraine. These are people who have lost their homes and livelihoods and face an uncertain future and numerous risks to their health. Maria has put on hold her usual role as a community…
WHO has released new guidelines on abortion care in a bid to protect the health of women and girls and help prevent over 25 million unsafe abortions that currently occur each year around the world.Based on the latest scientific evidence, these consolidated guidelines bring together over 50 recommendations spanning clinical practice, health service delivery, and…
Statement by Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for EuropeCopenhagen, 8 March 2022Good morning, good afternoon,It is now 13 days since the military offensive began in Ukraine, and today within the country we see a health system under severe pressure, and beyond its borders the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe for more…
The central train station in Rzeszów has long been a busy transit point in south-eastern Poland, not far from the border with Ukraine. But in late February it took on a new role – a safe haven for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the escalating violence in their homeland, a place where they can receive free medical…